Examining current events globally, and the condition of the church locally, with a scriptural and eschatological perspective.

02/26/2012

Here's a story that should give Rick Warren shivers of delight. Be warned that the day will come when evangelical leaders such as Warren won't stop at extending an ecumenical olive branch to devotees of Islam, but will openly endorse the Islamic Prophet Jesus, who is not the Son of God but a prophet of Allah. Wake up church, Rick Warren already prayed in the name of this blasphemous false Christ, Isa, in front of a billion people during the inaugural prayer of President Obama! Read the article and be warned. Watch and pray, for our redemption draws nigh.

02/16/2012

On February 25th last year, James Robison posted a blog article (which can be found here) in which he discussed his relationship with Glenn Beck. Although Robison flirts with an ecumenical endorsement of Beck, he never overtly affirms the orthodoxy of Beck's Mormon faith. It appears much has changed in a year. Yesterday Robison was the guest host of "The Glenn Beck Show" airing on Beck's GBTV network. The following is the transcript of an excerpt from Robison's opening monologue:

"I have enough respect for Glenn because we have developed a very meaningful relationship. I've had a lot of my friends in evangelical churches say "How can you be close to someone who, you know, is part of the Mormon faith?" Because I got to know Glenn and I follow a savior who says we are to love all people, and we're to be a light that illuminates the way... the correct way to walk, the things to avoid. I don't think we can effectively talk to anyone or communicate with them if they don't believe we love them. Glenn knew the first time we met that I had his best interests in mind. I cared about him, there was a love connection there, and we began to communicate and talk and we found out we know Jesus (emphasis mine), that Jesus Christ is real in our lives. I know many Baptists... I became a Christian in a Baptist church, I know many Baptists who don't know Jesus. In a few moments I'm going to be talking to a Catholic, I know many Catholics who don't know Jesus. I'm sure there are Mormons who do not know Jesus. I'm sure there are some people who teach things that don't actually point you to the truth, even in religious settings. That's another thing I appreciate about Glenn, he says "Let's keep pursuing the truth, let's keep looking for the truth, let's be on a continual exploration journey to find truth and apply it, and allow it to have its transforming effect in our lives."

This is staggering. As evidenced by his own words, we have here yet another example of a highly influential leader within the evangelical community legitimizing what has heretofore been widely recognized as an aberrant sect of Christianity. For the sake of clarity let me state the following: Mormonism is utterly and irrevocably incompatible with Christianity. The God of Mormonism is not the God of the Bible, and neither is the Jesus of Mormonism the Jesus of the Bible. The Mormon theology, enshrined in extra-biblical revelation delivered to Joseph Smith by a demon masquerading as an angel and calling itself Moroni, is not the gospel and therefore cannot save any of its adherents. Mormonism is the quintessential example of what Paul warned against in Galatians 1:8 - "But even if we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel to you than what we have preached to you, let him be accursed." In his statement "We know Jesus", Robison is publicly affirming Glenn Beck as a brother and fellow believer. Not content to stop there in modeling for his, and Beck's, viewers an embrace of heresy, Robison goes on to contextualize Mormons, Baptists and Catholics as equally orthodox and equally susceptible to self-delusion in their relationship with Christ. The question becomes then, what would Robison posit as the litmus test for an orthodox Christology? He apparently answers this by quoting Beck's admonition "let's keep pursuing the truth, let's keep looking for the truth, let's be on a continual exploration journey to find truth and apply it, and allow it to have its transforming effect in our lives." This is spiritual cyanide. Jesus said "I am the Way, the Truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." Be warned, the road that leads to life is narrow. It is not found through ecumenical unity, for that road is wide and leads to destruction. It is not found in Beck's Mormon eschatology in which he appears to view himself as the prophesied savior of America. Neither is it found in Robison's dominionism in which he sees the "church" ushering in the Kingdom of God through political activism. It is becoming increasingly evident that the time is not coming when we will see the advent of a one-world religion but that the time is here. Uninformed and scripturally malnourished congregations are vulnerable to the most egregious spiritual betrayal at the hands of their leaders, who are removing their sheepish facades and exposing the wolves beneath with increasing frequency. Seek the Lord in His word, and may He grant you wisdom and discernment as the days grow darker.

01/04/2012

Prior to this morning I was blissfully ignorant regarding the existence of the group Jesus Radicals, who apparently busy themselves with the exploration of both "the way of Jesus in the Empire" and "the intersection of Christianity and anarchism". Admittedly I was unaware that Christianity and anarchism intersected. Nothing turned up when I searched for anarchism in my concordance, but I digress. In fact, there is nothing of orthodox Christianity about this organization at all. Appealing to a progressive fringe even farther to the left than Red Letter Christians and Sojourners, this group wears its rebellion against the gospel with pride. While its demonic influence is easily recognizable to any discerning believer (a recent guest on their podcast was Starhawk, "one of the most respected voices in modern earth-based spirituality"), make no mistake that all three aforementioned groups are the same animal ("some animals are more equal than others").

I was particularly struck by the group's logo, one of the most blasphemous images my eyes have ever beheld:

No, your eyes are not deceiving you, this is an actual depiction of a nail-pierced 'raised-fist', implying I suppose that Jesus stands in solidarity with such nefarious entities as the International Socialist Organization, the Black Panther Party, and of course Occupy Wall Street. On that note, I enthusiastically recommend the excellent book "Marx & Satan" by Richard Wurmbrand, which effectively exposes the satanic origins of Marxism, and subsequently of any attempt to marry Christianity and Socialism.

12/29/2011

Todd Rhoades, at Toddrhoades.com, posted a blog entry today on the topic of churches adapting to accommodate changes in culture. It can be viewed here. The following is a response I sincerely hope will be viewed by its author:

So a pastor comes in and launches a radical conversion to McChurch, causing upheaval and divisions, and those who are bold enough to stand against it are "bitter, angry and hopeless"? You so casually disrespect and disregard the elders who represent multi-generational membership. So tradition is always antiquated? Clearly the consensus opinion of post-moderns such as yourself is that the culture should determine how the church operates on every level, and those who have nothing new/relevant/hip to contribute, or those who just won't conform, should be eliminated. You know what really sucks, Todd (aside from an influential, respected leader within the Christian community using such an inappropriate dysphemism)? It's the fact that much of the church has left its first love, and plays the harlot with this world system. It's not just the pianos and hymnals that are held with such contempt and treated with such haughty derision, it's also the gospel. It was never the place of the church to conform itself or the living and powerful word of God to this world, or to incorporate extra-biblical materials for a sermon series, or to turn a worship service into a stadium rock concert, in order to attract unbelievers. Attracting unbelievers is the work of the Holy Spirit. How arrogant, shameful, and blasphemous that the 'church' should determine to usurp this work. The work of the church is to proclaim the gospel and edify the saints, or at least it was. Too bad this is no longer en vogue.

12/25/2011

Another example of blasphemy disguised as relevance. The setting: Christmas Eve Service at First Hattiesburg Church in Hattiesburg, MS. A contemporary (relative to more traditional hymns and carols) Christmas song written in 1962 as a plea for peace during the Cuban Missile Crisis, sung to the tune of the bleak Verve ballad "Bittersweet Symphony". My heart breaks for our youth, many of whom have never experienced a worship service that is truly sanctified, lovely, untarnished by worldly influence, with a reverence for God's holiness. Rick Warren's Saddleback showcased a Miley Cyrus song. Perry Noble's Newspring church incorporates songs from Katy Perry in their 'worship', not to mention opening their 2009 Easter service with AC/DC's Highway to Hell. It is no longer a question of propriety. One small compromise unchecked eventually leads to an avalanche of apostasy. These examples are indicative of the vicious attack on the Body of Chris led by the enemy of our faith, meant to erode the line between church and culture. Unfortunately, convinced as it is that the church is attracting new believers to Christ through cultural relevance, it has in reality become corrupted by it. Remember the admonition of the Holy Spirit through the pen of James:

James 1:27 - "Pure and undefiled religion before God and the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their trouble, and to keep oneself unspotted from the world."

James 4:4 - "Adulterers and adulteresses! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Whoever therefore wants to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God."

God forgive us for our idolatrous love affair with this world. May the Lord raise up discerning young people who will seek earnestly after His Kingdom and His righteousness, and stand boldly in the face of this culture to proclaim Truth. That is my prayer for my children, and the children in attendance at Hattiesburg Church this Christmas weekend.

12/15/2011

For those eagerly anticipicating the Elephant Room 2, the following screen shots reflect some of T.D. Jakes musings on the doctrine of the trinity. Admittedly it is a mostly one-sided reflection of the conversation thread so I encourage you to research these exchanges to better grasp the full context. However, I believe what is presented speaks unambiguous volumes regarding T.D. Jakes doctrinal position. Is the doctrine of the trinity essential to salvation? What is most distressing is that such a question is being posited for open debate within the "church" today. How sly the enemy is, regurgitating the same lies of old to seduce the church away from its foundation. If we accept T.D. Jakes position, that our understanding of who God is, as He is revealed in scripture given to us by the Holy Spirit, is not essential to salvation, we logically arrive at syncretism and there is no basis on which to reject Mormonism, Jehovah's Witness theology, Islam, etc., as anything other than orthodox. If doctrine is an afterthought, a creed that came "hundreds of years after the church was formed", then it doesn't matter which Jesus saves us. Dear reader, my credentials are inconsequential, I hold no theology degree, and my ability to articulate these great truths pales in comparison to the giants of the faith who staunchly defended them long before I was born. Still I must add my small voice to those calling for the church to awaken out of this apostate stupor. If we embrace the call of T.D. Jakes to exchange truth for unity, then we will all be lost together. Rather, heed the admonition of the Holy Spirit spoken through Paul in 2 Timothy 4:3-4:

"For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers; and they will turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables."

12/13/2011

Bishop John Shelby Spong is well known for attacking almost every Christian doctrine he swore in his ordination vows to uphold, e.g. God as sovereign Creator, the Incarnation, Virginal Conception and Resurrection of Christ, and substitionary atonement. (All this while drawing a salary contributed by those who presumably expect their leaders to defend the official beliefs of their church.)

Heretic Bishop John Shelby Spong presents an accurate assessment of the damage to the gospel if the theory of evolution is true, in which case we are, as Paul said, "of all men the most pitiable." Praise God for men like Ken Ham, who are willing and able, by God's grace and empowering ministry of the Holy Spirit, to stand in the face of the scoffers and substantively refute the fallacy of evolution.

12/07/2011

Britt Merrick is THE rock star mega-pastor where I live in Ventura County. You can scarcely turn your heard without seeing a vehicle sporting a Reality bumper sticker. In fact, a casual glance at the local freeways or inner-city traffic will typically bear witness to a car driving at excessive speeds, whose driver may or may not be eating, applying make-up, reading the latest Relevant Mag recommended e-book on their iPad and/or shaving WHILST texting, weaving around those annoying drivers observing the speed limit, who may or may not be transporting small children. Anyway, odds are good that this Fast and Furious reject will have one or more Reality stickers affixed to the backside of their vehicle. Anyone who is anyone in Ventura County attends Reality (Carp or Ventura). As a disclaimer, I'll admit up front that I am NOT cool enough to attend Reality, but I digress.

This afternoon I noticed with horror the following tweet from Radicalis:

Britt Merrick's star is certainly on the rise. To be invited to a conference hosted by Rick Warren, the man who claims to have personally fulfilled the great commission through his ministries and church-planting efforts. It must be like kissing the ring of the Pope. The allure of such power is intoxicating. But let us examine just two featured names in this lineup.

The first and foremost is, of course, the aforementioned Rick Warren. Here is a man who claims to have influenced or directly established over 400,000 pastors and churches worldwide. More importantly, and far more grave, is the fact that he is also a man who makes no distinction between a) Jesus Christ - our Lord and Saviour, second Person of the Trinity, revealed in Holy Scripture, creator of the universe, almighty God, and b) Isa, the Jesus revealed in the Quran who was merely a mortal prophet, who pointed the way to Allah, was never crucified but was taken up into Heaven by Allah and will return to accompany the Madhi, the redeemer of Islam. If this is met with a tinge of incredulity, feel free to read more on the topic here, and supporting evidence for Rick Warren's error here.

The second purveyor of nefarious theology I will spotlight here is Dan Kimball. Here is a man who openly promotes a marriage of Christianity and Paganism. If you happen to attend a church that has undergone one or more aesthetic changes over the past few years, for example incorporating various forms of art in or around the sanctuary, well my friend, your church is attempting to create a "Sacred Space", and the person you most likely have to thank is Dan Kimball. One notable passion Mr. Kimball has in common with Rick Warren is the promotion of the eastern mystical practice of Contemplative Prayer, yet the former presents it in such a manner as to strip away any facade of a "Christian" contextualization of this utterly pagan doctrine of demons. Dan Kimball wrote the following after attending the National Pastors Conference in San Diego (the article in its entirety can be found here):

The labyrinth is a maze-like path similar to those designed into the floors of European cathedrals during the Middle Ages. Christians of that time would walk the labyrinth to aid their contemplative prayer and reflection. The labyrinths fell into disuse, and most were eventually forgotten or destroyed.

At the National Pastors Conference in San Diego, however, we found the labyrinth was back and given an update. The path was formed by black lines on a 35-foot square piece of canvas laid on the floor. We each were given a CD player with headphones to guide our journey through the 11 stations on the path. As we began the inward journey—toward the center of the canvas—a gentle female voice with a British accent read a portion of John 1. She told us not to rush through the labyrinth, but to slow down, breathe deeply, and fully focus on God.

At the first stop, we looked at a television screen covered with complex, moving electronic wave forms. We were instructed to pray about and eliminate the noise within that interferes with God's voice. At another station we dropped small stones into water, each stone representing a worry we were giving over to God. Later we drew on paper symbols of our hurts, prayed about each of them, and put them in a trash can.

After thirty minutes we found ourselves at the labyrinth's center, where, seated on cushions, we were offered the elements of Communion. The narrator read more Scripture and reminded us how near Jesus Christ is to us. There was a Bible if we desired to linger, reading and praying.

The journey outward focused on how we can be used by God in other people's lives. At one station we made impressions of our hands and feet in a box of sand, reminding us that we leave impressions on the people we touch.

My wife and I spent an hour in the labyrinth and found ourselves calmed and refreshed, our perspective uniquely restored.

When I first read that account, I could hardly believe it. Not being familiar with Dan Kimball at the time, I assumed he represented some fringe, transparently aberrant offshoot of evangelicalism, distanced from the mainstream. That was before I realized how far and fast this cancer of apostasy has spread through the church. At least I know now why the church I was attending at the time started hanging artwork in the sanctuary, although I'm not sure if they even realize why they were doing it. In fact, I doubt it. As Rick Warren intimated in the following tweet, church growth is paramount, and if other churches are doing it then so should we:

Pastor Merrick, I admonish you in the Lord to give careful consideration to your associations. You know the word, so I'm not bringing anything to your attention with which you are not already intimately familiar when I remind you:

2 Corinthians 6:14 - "Do not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers. For what fellowship has righteousness with lawlessness? And what communion has light with darkness?"

Amos 3:3 - "Can two walk together, unless they are agreed?"

For the sake of friends and neighbors who attend your church, and whose children are influenced by the youth ministries under your leadership, please consider the direction in which you are headed. I pray for discernment, both for you and your flock.